Basin Snow Report

What a fabulous early season we are having. Yesterday was cold which made the debut of the new Snowdon Express Chair – the 6 pack bubble – perfectly timed and a welcome addition to the mountain. All except your feet are out of the elements and toasty warm on the quick ride up. The new... Read More ...Click Here

Devinci Troy Carbon GX Review

A Technical All-Mountain Brawler – Devinci Troy Carbon GX Review

The Devinci Troy at first glance looks like any modern trail bike. It’s low, slack and comes equipped with 150mm of travel. Basin Sports brought in Devinci this year so we were excited to put a “new to us” trail bike on dirt. I’m going to be doing a lot of comparison to my trail bike, a 2017 Santa Cruz Bronson- so bear with me as I digest my remarks.

When testing the Troy I actually sized up. I’m 5’10” so my go-to sizing falls in the Medium range (at least on a Santa Cruz). On this the Large actually felt more comfortable which could be the result of a multitude of things. So I geared up and headed out. I rode the Devinci Troy at one of the local bike trail networks, Pine Hill. This network leans more towards the groomed side of trails with short, steep, technical bits and some pumpy flow as well as few little jumps. Well rounded as trail networks go, but short enough to cover the entire park in a couple hours. The elevation here is not high, the highest point in the park will leave you with maybe 400 feet of gain, so not too difficult.

Right out of the gate the Troy climbed well on the mellower, consistent gradient. The moment I hit a steep pitch the bike really struggled to stay grounded (tires slipping and this was after adjusting body position). In areas that I could climb fine on my Bronson, I couldn’t even muster on the Troy. This could have been partially due to it being a Large and not a Medium but the Medium just felt too small. In my mind the Troy was not a great climber, I exerted a lot of energy to justify gains.

As I reached the highest point in the network I was granted a short bit of downhill featuring tight, flowy turns, a few jumps, drops and technical sections. From there I got to an outlook point and then could enter a trail named Stegosaurus, which I’m hoping you can put two and two together and maybe even formulate what the trail looked like.

One area where the Devinci Troy excels is in groomed flow. The short chainstays make the bike nimble and agile in tight, bermed corners. Turning never felt so easy and that’s one area where this bike gets high marks. It was pretty unbelievable how good the Troy corners. Next, there was a short uphill to down with a small jump then a manmade drop. I hit the jump and the bike just doesn’t want to give, it wants to stay glued to the trail (almost like a downhill bike). When I hit the drop it didn’t feel elegant or graceful by any means, rather it surged forward and sought out the ground.
When I finished the flow trail I got into Stegosaurus, the technical part of my ride and the Troy was a beast. Some have referred to it as an all-mountain brawler and in the technical terrain, it showed. Like a downhill bike, the Troy got into its line and held it without fumbling or skipping. In this respect, it felt more stable and more precise than on any other section of trail. It almost felt like well, riding flow. You lined it up and the bike did all the work, you didn’t have to put a lot of thought into it.

My takeaways are this… That this bike wants to stay grounded. Some say this bike likes to jump and I just didn’t see it (or feel it). By comparison to my Bronson, the Troy felt horrible in the air. If I were a semi-pro or recently retired downhill rider looking for an all-around trail bike, I’d say look at the Devinci Troy. My reasoning is that it feels and rides very much like a downhill bike would, but with uphill capabilities and shorter travel. If you’re a technical rider who enjoys the occasional flow trail, you’re most likely going to enjoy this bike. It’s mean, it’s ready to fight and it’s fun.
Ask us about our Devinci Demo Fleet and how you can get your hands on one to test ride or maybe even buy.

Basin sports is the premier mountain sports retailer in Vermont, specializing in skiing, snowboarding, and biking. Basin Sports has received the Ski Magazine Gold Medal nine years in a row and twice naming Basin Sports the best ski shop in New England. Basin Sports has some of the best technical boot fitting service in the country, with certified Pedorthists on staff. As much as we love getting Basin Sports customers into the perfect gear for them, there is one thing we love just as much, if not more. You guessed it, skiing, riding, and just plain enjoying the mountains. You can rest assured that all of us at Basin Sports is taking every opportunity to get out and enjoy all that Killington has to offer. In the winter we ski daily and we are constantly testing new gear, sampling the conditions, and sniffing out powder stashes. Feel free to ask us any questions that you may have, we love to talk about skiing, snowboarding, cycling, hiking and even snowshoeing. In fact, in the winter, we update our website, basinski.com, every day with conditions reports, photos, and videos. Check us out for the most up-to-date and honest info around

About Ariel Kent

I didn't always expect to see myself in a marketing position- or to be so deeply invested in the Ski Industry but it happened and I wouldn't change it for a second. I always had a way with words so it doesn't surprise me that I found myself here, now making a difference and having a positive impact on the environment around me. I have an Undergraduate Degree in Mountain Recreation Management and am currently finishing a Masters Certificate in Marketing Management from Harvard University.